Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1887-01-24
Gte cmlaster Jntel!isente
LANCASTER JANUARY "a, lsS7.
CrHing Need OF Reform.

On Saturday, April "a, 1886, the INTEL
LIeENcER devoted column and a quarter
OF its space to showing the hardships
caused by the municipal lien laws under
the present system Of administering them.
On Tuesday last the Ne0 Era in a strong
editorial took the same ground that has
been maintained by this journal, namely,
that there was a crying necessity for i'm
mediate reform.
In the INTELLlGESCER article adyerted
o, an analysis was made of Municipal
Lien Docket No. 3, in which were found
the latest cases of liens filed for unpaid
city taxes. Running from page II TO page
81 were found 6S liens, the sums in ques-
tion ranging from 96 cents to a little less
than sl00. On the bigger half of these,
execution was issued on the judgment and
sum of costs piled up that dwarfed the
original tax bill into insignifcance.
One Of the cases pointed out at that time
was municipal lien of s5.S2 against
property in the Seventh ward, that being
the amount of city tax assessed against that
real estate for 1885. \ sci ia was Issued
to February term 1856. \ reference to the
common pleas appearance docket showed
how the owner of the property paid, in ad-
dition TO $3.50 taxes, the following bill of
costs:
PiainIifr: original twfiii....... 50
City ~
frothonotary.... a2o
Total. ................... .5-77c
1t will be observed that practically the
sheriff gets his fee for nothing, for there
has been no sale of the property. The
prothonotary is allowed sl.25 for entering
the lien and sl.75 for issuing the writ.
What the extra 10 cents is for nobody
knows but the fellow who makes out the
bill. The mystery deepens about the $50
which the same official whacks into the
end of the bill. The city solicitor gobbles
up IS as his share of the spoils.
Now, if this sort Of thing was necessary,
there could be no Just cause of complaint.
But municipal lien for taxes is a lien for
five years; and during that time it has pri-
ority to any 'reC0guizlnce, mortgage,
judgment, debt, obligation or responsibility
which the said real estate may become
\ SioiSSu VIVA oA IlhoAC W, AlOul dlQ dlltI
the passage Of this act." So reads the act
of March l3, 1879. And the same act in its
second section says concerning the munich
pal tax lien (Which taxes shall be duly
indexed as lien thereon, the costs thereof
to be charged against the said owner and
not to exceed in any case one dollar
Here it will be seen that the law pro-
vided that the lien was to be safe for FIVE
years without the issue of scire fdcias,
and the costs to the property owner were
not to exceed one dollar. Yet the records
show that in nearly all the municipal liens
a wild rush is made to issue a Sci fa., and
VIA Numbering of the poor by a big bill Of
costs is>hsgun.
The latest case of injustice reported is
that of Mr.. George Humphreville, of this
city, whose tax amounted to $71l, and
whose total costs were sl797.
Councils ought to pass an ordinance that
no scire tdcidS may be issued OF lien for
unpaid municipal taxes until the expiration
OF four years from the time of its being
filed, unless where the special exgencies of
the case require, when the consent of the
finance committee of councils should be
obtained in writing.
In any event, the present systematic
plundering of the poor should be stopped.